Legend of Zelda: Shadow of Darkness
by LivingInFantasy225
Summary: What if there was no "Majora's Mask" game? What would have followed the events of "Ocarina of Time"? Here's Link's story...
1. Author's Note

Author's Note-

This fanfiction is based off of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.  
This is an interesting thing to think about... Imagine this as a "If there WAS no Majora's Mask game... what would follow the events of Ocarina of Time?"

I've gotten some ideas from friends.  
I thank one of my friends for the attitude of the Dark Link character... He has a new name that will be revealed later. But I just like the personality! ...ok, the name's pretty cool, too. Major thanks to my friend, "the new hero of chaos". Check out some of his works!

This is not a story in which Link is silent... It wouldn't work with the story line.

If you have a Link pairing, or wish to express your opinions on one of the ones listed, i am willing to accept your opinions.

Link X Zelda  
Link X Malon  
Link X Saria

Link X Ruto

Link X Origonal Character

Any more?

Please, for the puropus of this fanfiction, no boyboy pairings or massive age differences. I prefer if the characters are from Ocarina of Time, but if you have any you would like to suggest, thanks! Please no more OCs, though... I'm up to my ears in them already!

Also, Whenever you wish to send me your opinion, or comment on my work, please don't just send me some little one liner or anything like that. I don't want to open it up and see "I liked that chapter" or "That part was really lame". I want to know why! Tell me more, but don't overload me. I'm not an english teacher asking you to write an essay.

I will occaisionally do something fun between two chapters... maybe a rest-scene-parody or a how-that-scene-could-have-gone-chapter. If you would like to see funny interactions between certain characters, just ask! I may decide to do so!

Also, If this fanfiction is not entirely accurate, I apologize... BUT LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!

Geeze! I'm tired of people who get all aggrivated over the slightest changes to major stories... If i changed something, it most likely was changed on purpous, or it was an accident and I DON'T CARE if it's off... It goes along with my fanfic, and that's what i care about! If I honestly don't know something, I will look it up, or ask my friends (who seem to ALWAYS know more than me... but then again, I'm me...). If you honestly can't handle those errors, I regret to infrom you that I may not be the Author for you to read...

This story begins at the exact moment the credits for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ends. For those of you who don't remember, I suggest you try to look it up. It will help a bit in understanding. (All hail the mighty YOUTUBE!!! It's a great place to find something like that.)

Warning! This story may take a while... If you wish to read it all at once (instead of waiting for me to update, which I stink at remembering to do) then just wait until I've posted this story as a Completed Story on my profile! Then you can read it all at once! (Oh, the magic!!!)

Each chapter will open with a comment by me, third-person., and will also end with a comment. If I forget to put one there, sorry!

Hmmm... LIF...that's my acronymn...  
My third-person name will be shortened to LIF... unless you can think of something better... please?

The story brews... the first chapter is already written... waiting to be posted...  
A ten-year-old Link looks up to the Princess of Hyrule standing by the the courtyard window...

_memories_


	2. Chapter 1:The Door is Sealed

LIF:"And now for my FIRST EVER FANFICTION!!!!! …well, it's my first ever POSTED fan fiction, but it's still a joyous moment and I can't wait to share it with you!" LIF then runs over to a table where rests a small stack of papers. Taking the top half, the story is offered to you… "Hope you like it!"

"Who are you?"

Surprise ran over Link's face. For some reason, he didn't expect that reaction. Then his memory of his first meeting came in his head. He smiled a bit, knowing what she would say next.

"How did you get past the guards?" Zelda continued.

That was it. Then she would see Navi and…

Wait…

Link didn't have Navi anymore.

"GUARDS!!!!"

Oh, no.

Five Hylian guards ran into the courtyard, each carrying a staff and a shield. They surrounded Link and grabbed him. Things were not looking good.

"What will you have us do with him, Lady Zelda," one of the guards asked.

"Just get him out of the castle! I'm far too occupied to deal with anything," she turned away from them. "But I do suggest you figure out how he got in here, past all of you, and fix the problem."

Zelda continued looking through the window. Link was in shock. What was going on? Is this what she meant by regaining his lost time? Was it to be as if none of it had ever happened?

"As you wish, Lady Zelda," the guard said. Two of them picked Link up by his arms and carried him toward the exit. A woman was just entering, coming to see Zelda.

"What seems to be the trouble, Lady Zelda?" She had her arms crossed and stood straight and firm.

"This boy snuck his way into the courtyard," she said, not even turning around.

"Hmm." Link looked at Impa, hoping she would have some memory of him. She was a Sheikah! She was bound to remember something…

…wasn't she?

"Well, what are you waiting for," she addressed the guards, "throw him out!"

What was going on?

"Yes, Miss Impa," said the guard. Then, they carried Link all of the way out of the castle and threw him over the gate.

Landing somewhat hard, Link turned to look at the castle. It stood there exactly as he remembered it, the white walls, the green roof. Nothing there had changed… so why had everything else?

"Thanks a lot, kid!" The guard at the gate looked down at Link. "You got me in so much trouble, all for a couple of rupees!" He rolled his eyes, then turned his gaze away from the boy.

Link sighed. Now what?

Walking back to Hyrule Castle Town, Link reflected on the new development. He remembered the conversation he had with Zelda after they had sealed Ganondorf in the Evil Realm. She was so rough on herself. He listened to everything she said, hoping he could cheer her up. He listened so intently, he still remembered every word.

"_All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing…_" She blamed herself for everything. "_I was so young…I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm._" She thought she had taken so much from him. "_I dragged you into it, too._

"_Now it is time for me to make up for my mistakes…_"

Did she intend to return him to a world where they didn't know each other?

She didn't know that his adventure had given him more than he could ever hope for. He thought that his happiness could continue.

"_You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time…_" He was willing to give that up to continue a happy life. "_However, by doing this, the road between times will be closed…_" He wouldn't mind living again as a kid.

"_Link. give the Ocarina to me…_" She said it as if it might be a hard decision, that reliving seven years would be a difficult choice. "_As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it._"

Did that include his original world?

When he had handed it over so willingly, she had looked so sad. Did she know that she wouldn't remember him in his time?

"_When peace returns to Hyrule…_

"_It will be time for us to say good-bye…_"

Had it been good-bye… forever?

"_Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time!_" What was he really gaining without his adventure? "_Home… where you are supposed to be… the way you are supposed to be…_" Was this the way things were supposed to be? Was that the end?

"_Thank you… Link…_

"_Good-bye…._"

It was. It was the end of it. It had been time for them to say good-bye. He had came back to her, sneaking past the guards again, hoping for a chance to continue living in happiness… where he had more friends than just Saria… where he wasn't the one living in Kokiri Forest without a fairy… where he could _be_ somebody…

How could this happen?

Link entered Hyrule Castle Town, dogs running around everywhere. He walked up to the fountain in the center of the square and sat down on its edge. What was life going to be like now? Was there something he could do to keep up his new way of life? Could he continue to fight evil, or help out others?

A little white dog sat down in front of him hoping to be petted. Link smiled. That lady sure needed to keep her little Richard in her house with her. Link hopped down from his seat and bent down to scratch behind the dog's ears. Richard's tail started wagging. He then jumped up on Link and began licking his face.

"Hey," Link said, trying to keep Richard down off of his face, "You remember me, right?" Richard barked…

…and ran off again.

Link let out another sigh.

Unsure of what to do, Link decided to visit the Temple of Time. He left the town square behind and passed some Gossip Stones. He stopped, the reflecting pools to either side of him, and looked up at the temple.

It had one round window up high and six arch windows all in a row. Its brickwork was still standing proud in their different shades of grey. Its three spires were tall, pointed to the heavens and toward the three Goddesses.

The symbol of the Triforce rest above the door. Looking down at his left hand, Link saw his own Triforce symbol. The Triforce of Courage glowed bright gold and stood out from the triangles of the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power.

That much from his adventure had remained. He had on his back the Kokiri Sword and a Hylian Shield, but those could have come from a memory he couldn't recall. The only thing that remained that proved to Link that it had not all just been a dream was the Triforce of Courage in his hand.

Zelda had the Triforce of Wisdom… but did _this_ Zelda still have it? He didn't sense it when he was in the courtyard. Did that remain in the other time as well?

Link entered the Temple of Time.

It was as it was before. There before him was the platform on which he would appear after playing the Prelude to Light on the Ocarina of Time. Further into the temple, an altar stood with three empty placeholders for the three Spiritual Stones. Behind that upon the steps, was the Door of Time, sealed behind him as Zelda promised.

Link walked forward, listening to his own footsteps echo off the temple walls. He knelt down on the red carpet before the altar and bowed his head.

He closed his eyes and thought back, back to that other time. Even in that time, it was so long ago when he had played the Song of Time on that very spot. The Spiritual Stones had risen up and descended to their rightful place on the altar, opening the Door of Time. Behind the Door of Time was the pedestal of the Master Sword.

It all seemed so far away now.

Link stood up and looked at the door. Maybe he could try to open it again… no… it could do so much damage to Hyrule. What would happen if a Hero of Time surfaced when there was no need for a Hero of Time? There could be major consequences.

Still… it was fun to think about.

Taking out the Fairy Ocarina, Link played the Song of Time. He waited for something to happen, for the Door of Time to shift in response. He longed for something to happen, something to tell him that things were not as bleak as they were beginning to seem.

Nothing happened.

Sighing once more, Link put the ocarina away and left the temple. He then walked through Hyrule Castle Town and arrived at the gate. Thinking to himself, he wondered where he should go. Where would young Link… not the Hero of Time… just young Link… would be able to go.

He decided to return home…

"_Home… where you are supposed to be… the way you are supposed to be…_"

Stepping out into the night of Hyrule Field, Link felt uneasy. If he took another step, a stalchild or two would appear. They were easy enough to defeat, but it became tedious after the first fifteen showed up. They never stopped coming until daylight.

Hopeful, Link took out the Fairy Ocarina and played the Sun's Song.

…but nothing changed.

Link hung his head and remembered how many times he had tried to copy music the ocarina he held was never taught. This ocarina didn't know how to play the Sun's Song, so no matter that Link himself knew the song, nothing would happen when it played.

Link put his instrument away and drew the Kokiri Sword. It was time to dodge the undead in order to reach Kokiri Forest. Link dashed forward and two stalchild sprung from the ground. Ignoring the one behind him, Link quickly dispatched of the one in his way and continued running. Another two rose from the ground and Link avoided both easily.

After killing many stalchild, and avoiding many more, Link arrived at the entrance to Kokiri Forest. He crossed the bridge and sheathed the Kokiri Sword on his back. He then walked past Mido's house, the training ground, and the hill leading to the Lost Woods. There he saw it, his old tree house.

He climbed the ladder and entered his old home. He was about to check his records when he remembered that in this time, he hadn't done anything besides get the Kokiri Sword, leave Kokiri Forest, and buy a Hylian Shield. He took off his weaponry and lay down on his bed. It was so long ago that Navi had woken Link from his nightmare of Ganondorf. Now he lay there, staring at his ceiling, wondering what to do with his life.

Still tired from running through Hyrule Field and fighting off the stalchild, Link drifted off to sleep.

In his slumber, a dream came to him. It was of himself when he was older. Link had with him the Master Sword, his longshot, the Fairy Bow, and the Ocarina of Time. He was entering a large room, his sword drawn and ready. Zelda hung in the air, imprisoned in magic.

A haunting song was playing throughout the room from a large organ. At its bench sat the King of Evil, his back to Link and his red cape hanging off the bench. It didn't take long for him to sense Link's presence. The eerie music suddenly stopped.

His deep and cruel voice drifted across the room to Link. "_The Triforce parts are resonating… They are combining into one again…_

"_The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago…_" Link got a sinking feeling that he had stumbled into a trap. "_I didn't expect they would be hidden within you two!_"

He laughed and slowly stood up. Link had seen this before. This was when he had encountered Ganondorf in his tower.

Ganondorf flung his cape behind him as he turned around. But what Link saw was different that what had happened before. With the real Ganondorf, he lifted up his right hand and revealed the Triforce of Power glowing golden and distinct from the other two Triforces.

With the being in his dream, Link saw Ganondorf raise his _left_ hand to reveal the Triforce of Power… but it was black. The Triforce of Power was pitch black upon Ganondorf's hand, the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage grey and faint.

Then, the image of Ganondorf changed. In a warp of darkness, the King of Evil vanished to reveal a shadow that Link had faced before in the Water Temple.

Dark Link stood before him, holding his shadowed hand up with the black Triforce glowing. Then, slowly, the shadows of Dark Link began to melt away. The darkness pulled off of him like black fabric and flew away into the air.

Underneath the darkness… was Link.

Link laughed, his eyes the only thing that remained the same as Dark Link. Red-eyed Link looked at Link and laughed. Blue-eyed Link jumped back in shock.

A wallmaster dropped down from the ceiling and grabbed blue-eyed Link. Red-eyed Link laughed even harder, his voice lightening from Dark Link's to Link's very own laugh. The wallmaster was slowly dragging blue-eyed Link back through the door when red-eyed Link's eyed changed as well.

Now there were two blue-eyed Links.

LIF: "WHAT?!? I so didn't see that one coming! Just kidding… I bet this is starting a lot of questions… I'd like to hear theories! Sorry about the confusing "red-eyed Link" "blue-eyed Link" thing, but it's supposed to be confusing. It's supposed to make about as much sense as that one part in LoZ:TP where Ilia is falling upside down with a creepy laugh. Now THAT was freaky!" LIF watches the cutscene again… so many falling Ilias! Suddenly, a large monster pops up and LIF is scared out of the chair… until they realize a bug had crawled over the screen. LIF simply picks the daddy-long-leg spider up and sets it free outside, where it can terrorize some innocent ant colony.


	3. Chapter 2:Reflecting on Destiny

LIF:"Link contemplated his future in this chapter. He does a lot of thinking, and a bit of chatting with the Great Deku Tree… I wonder what he'll say…" As LIF contemplates this, a small blue fairy flies by. It does circles around LIF's head, then resorts to yelling.  
Navi:"HEY! LIF!" LIF looks up, slightly annoyed by the interruption.  
LIF:"Yes, Navi?"  
Navi:"Did you tell them why I left yet?" LIF panics and grabs a bottle. Quickly putting the lid over the now trapped Navi, LIF waves you away.  
LIF:"That's for another time… Oh! By the way! SPECIAL thanks to Lysana! I'm so glad you like it, and I don't mind "essay" reviews at all! I think it's wonderful when people have a lot to say! I hope you and everyone else likes what's coming next! Enjoy the chapter!" LIF struggles with the bottle as Navi pounds against its sides.

Link woke up.

Link yawned and sat up. What was it about that bed that always gave him nightmares? Was that one another prophecy? …or was it his mind's reaction to being thrown out of his world where he could be a hero.

Link felt alone. Navi wasn't there with him. Why couldn't she have stayed? As soon as he returned to his time, Navi flew up and out of the window in the Temple of Time. Where did she go? Why did she leave?

"Hey, Link!" A voice called up from outside. Link left his house and looked down the ladder.

Saria was there waving, her fairy by her side. "Hey, Link! Were you still asleep?" Saria smiled and put her hands on her hips. "It's nearly midday! You and I were going to meet up at the Shop earlier this morning!"

"Sorry… nightmare," Link said. He couldn't get over the fact that the girl he was looking at would be… or… was the Sage of Forest.

"Oh, no," Saria said, concerned. "What about?"

"Oh, nothing really," Link said. He then jumped off of his porch and landed with a roll.

"Show off," Saria said.

Link smiled. He had forgotten how much fun he and her would have before he was called by the Great Deku Tree.

The Deku Tree…

"Hey, Saria," Link began, "Do you want to go and visit the Great Deku Tree with me?"

"That's where we were going to go earlier," she said, "but, sure. Let's go now."

They began walking. Link shrugged, "It's been a while since we've visited him, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, you're right!"

They walked through Kokiri Forest and entered the Great Deku Tree's Haven. The giant tree was there in the center of the haven. Link and Saria walked up to him.

"Good evening, young Link and Saria," the Great Deku Tree said. "It hast been too long since thou last visited my haven. What hast brought thou here this day?"

"We came to visit, Great Deku Tree," Saria said. "And I was wondering if you had heard anything new happening around the forest." Link looked at her sideways, then back at the Great Deku Tree.

"Thy curiosity cannot be hindered, young Saria, but no. No new news hast reach mine ears this day. There hast been mutterings about the deku shrubs that a treasure of the forest rests somewhere in this haven, but this is an untruth…"

Saria shrugged in slight disappointment. "Oh well."

Link looked up at the Great Deku Tree. He wondered if this tree had been cursed at all. Maybe it had not. What would that mean?

"Is there a trouble that plagues thou, young Link?" the tree asked.

Saria was looking at Link with a slight look of worry. Link shook his head.

"Saria!"

Mido came into the haven carrying a bottle. He seemed to have gotten a bit wet. "Hey, Saria! Do you want to come see these fish I found in the lake? I tried catching one, but they're too fast."

Saria smiled, but then looked back at Link, nervous.

"Go ahead, Saria," Link said, "I know you want to see them."

"You don't mind?" she asked, "Do you want to come?"

"No thanks," Link said, looking up at Mido, who was giving him a sour look. "Go on, I'll stay here and talk with the Great Deku Tree some more. Have fun!"

Saria smiled again, "Thanks, Link!"

She was just about to leave when Link grabbed her hand. He whispered into her ear, "Catch one of them and show Mido who's _really_ boss!" He then let go and waved to Mido, who was really mad now.

"I will," she said. Then she and Mido left.

Link breathed in deep and released it with a small huff. He then looked up at the Great Deku Tree.

"Now, what is really troubling thou, young Link?"

Link glanced down at his left hand. The Triforce of Courage was there, but not glowing. He was a Hylian… had this tree told him yet?

"I'm different than the other Kokiri, aren't I?"

With a big breath, the great tree said, "Yes.

"Thou art different that thy friends. There lies within thou a different kind of spirit than that of the other Kokiri. What makes thou ask?"

Link looked up again at the Great Deku Tree. "I mean… I'm not a Kokiri… That's why I don't have a fairy, why I dream of the things I do. I'm different that the other Kokiri because I'm not one."

The Great Deku Tree sighed. "Thou hast figured out much, young Link. Thou art a Hylian. In thy blood runs a different lineage than that of the other Kokiri.

"_Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war on our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured… Her only choice was to entrust the child to me, the Deku Tree, guardian spirit of the forest. I could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so I took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri._"

Link almost laughed to himself as he recalled the Deku Tree Sprout's speech. It was almost identical to what the Great Deku Tree was telling him, only the sprout was telling _of_ the Great Deku Tree.

So he was still a child of destiny… but without a destiny to fulfill…

"As thou might guess, thou were the babe," the great tree said.

Link smiled slightly to himself. "So I had thought."

He was just about to leave when the Great Deku Tree spoke. "What hast brought about this knowledge to thy attention, young Link?"

Still facing the path, Link said, "You learn a lot more than you think in dreams." He then left the haven behind and began to walk home.

As link walked, he thought about his future. What would it hold? Would there ever be a Hero of Time? Would he ever get to meet with Zelda again? And what about his other friends?

Link continued to think of his past adventures with Kokiri, Hylians, Gorons, Zoras… and Gerudos.

Since Link was once again in the past, did that mean that Ganondorf was still living in Gerudo Valley? Was he gone forever?

There were a lot of unanswered questions. Thinking about them had distracted him and he found himself at the entrance to the Lost Woods. Wondering why his feet would take him there, Link decided to enter. Maybe he could find some peace in the Sacred Forest Meadow.

Navigating his way through the forest was only possible because he had memorized the way. Saria wasn't playing her ocarina in the Sacred Forest Meadow, so he had to go by memory, not sound. Once he was there, he passed the platform onto which he would warp by playing the Minute of Forest and sat down on the tree stump.

It was a great place to think; he understood why Saria liked it so much. The quiet unsettling him in the usually musical place, he took out the Fairy Ocarina and began to play Saria's Song. The happy tune lifted his spirits before he got to thinking again.

He couldn't stay in Kokiri Forest. He was a Hylian and was eventually going to age. The others would know he didn't belong then. Mido would probably throw him out, if he was angry enough. He just wouldn't be accepted among them. How saddening it was when he returned to meet them when he was older. He had grown, changed and developed, while they had remained young.

He had to go somewhere else. He had to leave the forest. Staying would be too hard for him, to watch his friends live on as unchanged as they were, while he would become a man. Thinking of the world outside the trees and deku plants, Link wondered where he could go. He couldn't be alone, not after so much had happened.

Going through his memories of his previous life, he tried to think of anyone who would be willing to house him. The Zoras were disregarded quickly. First of all, none of them knew him now. What would one little kid mean to them? Also, Princess Ruto was too selfish to live near. He didn't want to have to save her again, should she be so careless as to be swallowed by Jabu Jabu again.

The Gorons might, but it would be an awkward upbringing. Besides, they ate rocks, and he didn't think he could survive off of that. He couldn't go to Kakariko Village. He would have to explain to Impa how he discovered the area… and also how he snuck past the Hylian guards at the castle. There was no one really at Lake Hylia except for the scientist, and that would be more awkward than with the Gorons. Link didn't even want to begin to think of living with the Gerudos.

Then a soft voice came into his memory. He remembered Malon at her ranch in the middle of Hyrule Field. She was a Hylian. He wouldn't have to worry about his age or his appetite. She wasn't self-centered like Ruto, and her and her father might actually accept him without his adventures.

He stopped his song and smiled. _That might actually work_, he thought.

"Don't stop," Saria said from the entrance to the meadow. "I didn't know you knew that song," she continued. Link laughed a bit.

Saria walked up to him and sat down next to him. The stump was big enough for the both of them.

"Are you really alright? You haven't been the same all day," she said concerned.

Link sighed and looked up at the sky. It was strange to think that that same sky was above so many different people. Was it the same sky as his previous life?

"You're leaving, aren't you? For good, this time."

Link smiled. Saria was so perceptive. That must have been why she became the Sage of Forest.

"_I knew_," she said, "_that you would leave the forest… someday, Link._

"_Because you are different from me and my friends... But that's OK, because we'll be friends forever… won't we?_"

Link smiled, "Always."

Saria held out her ocarina to him. "I know you just wanted to borrow it before, but…

"_I want you to have this Ocarina…_" Link took it back into his hands and looked at it. It was the same one she had given him before in his previous life. So, in this life, he only borrowed it? He smiled again at the gift. "_Please take good care of it._

"_When you play my Ocarina, I hope you will think of me and come back to the forest to visit._"

Link nodded. He wished he could stay longer, but it would only complicate his decision later. Another few days and he could lose himself in the memories of his early childhood and never leave. The more he thought about it, the more he knew he had to leave soon.

Then he looked at Saria. She just smiled kindly, even when she knew her friend would leave. Link decided to stay until morning. That way, he could spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out with Saria. Hey, he would even get to avoid more stalchild in Hyrule Field.

"I'll visit often… but you may not always recognize me."

"Oh, I think I will," she smiled, making Link wonder how much she really knew.

The rest of the day was bliss. Saria showed him where Mido's fish were, and all of the fish she caught. They ran around, talked, and just had fun, both knowing it would not last. When, Link retired to bed, he was worn out and fell asleep fast. No nightmares plagued him…

And they didn't for months.

LIF:Is sitting over a paper while holding a bottle with a black cloth over it. The pencil is flying across the paper, then it breaks. LIF stops, obviously frustrated, then explodes into a ball of fire destroying the entire scene, leaving behind a black screen…


	4. Chapter 3:Adventure Calls

LIF:Is yelling at a bottle that keeps yelling back. "I'm telling you now! I don't care if you didn't hear this before; I'm telling you NOW! You are NOT allowed to give anything away to the readers before hand, unless I let you! It would spoil it for the readers! And you know how I hate spoiling things for the readers!" Inside the bottle, Navi still sits. She argues back. "Im not letting you out until you understand this! NO SPOILERS!!!" Navi huffs… she then asks something in hope. "You know what… that wouldn't be a bad idea…" Navi continues pushing her point, hoping to get her way. "Ok. You can occasionally provide a "Navi's Manual" for the story about things that have already happened. I'll let you keep doing it only if someone reviews it and says they like it. If they don't, no more! And… only two conditions… No spoiling… and I always have the final say!" Navi responds cheerfully. LIF lets Navi out of the bottle.

No nightmares plagued him… And they didn't for months.

Lon Lon Ranch was a peaceful place. The calm of the skies lasted weeks and the animals were so welcoming. The cucoos may not be, but the horses definitely were.

Link was sitting atop a crate of Lon Lon Milk when he took out his ocarina and played Epona's Song. The young foal galloped across the Ranch and up to Link, her chestnut bay coat glistening clean in the sunlight. She had gotten used to Young Link, and responded to her song.

It was nice to have this familiarity back. It helped to bring Link to a peaceful state of mind. He stroked Epona's coat, the soft hair smooth under his hand. Setting the ocarina down, Link reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a carrot. He offered it to the young horse, who began to devour it happily. Link smiled.

Once she had finished her treat, Link grabbed hold of a bit of her mane and climbed onto her back. Careful not to scare her, he signaled her to move. Epona began to walk towards the corral. The shed was behind the bulk of Lon Lon Ranch and they had to circle the track half way before getting into the corral itself.

"Link! Epona!"

Malon came walking over to them, smiling the entire time. She looked up at Link and nodded in greeting before turning her attention to the foal. She began to gently stroke Epona, talking quietly to her. It was amazing to Link. The young Hylian girl had such a good way with animals. Every horse responded to her call and every cow would calm under her touch. Even the cucoos behaved when she entered their nest house. It never failed to amaze Link. If he brought Malon to the Lost Woods, the deku shrubs would be giving her directions.

"You're very good with animals, Link," Malon said glancing up at him. This caught him off guard.

"Neither my pa nor Ingo could tame Epona when we found her. I had to keep her calm, but even then, I've never ridden her." She looked up to him, "She like's you, Link." He smiled.

"Hey! You!" came a shout from near the stables. Ingo was walking fast, his pitchfork in his hands. "Kid! Those darn cucoos are loose in the visitor's barn again! Somebody's got to clean that up!"

Link sighed. He hopped down off of Epona, fed her a carrot, and headed over toward the farmhand. Ingo was glaring down his big nose towards Link, who had to look up at him. Ingo picked up a bucket he had behind him and handed it to Link. "Once you've chased them out, clean up their mess. And after that, the horses' stalls need some fresh straw laid out. By the time you're done with that, it will be time to milk the cows."

Highly annoyed, Link responded bitterly. "May I ask what _you_ are doing, Ingo?" He was practically giving Link the rest of the work until evening.

"_I_ am doing _my_ share of the work and if you don't get yours done, I might have to explain to Talon just what a useless kid you are. Maybe _he_ can give you some work to do on top of your daily chores." Ingo then stalked off toward the shed. Link fumed. He himself knew the shed was clean. He had just cleaned it earlier.

Not wanting to cause a scene, Link headed over to the main entrance. The first barn in the ranch was the welcome center for visitors. Here they could buy Lon Lon Milk and converse about other business. Talon had a tendency to fall asleep here, though.

Entering the building, Link realized just how much of a slacker Ingo was. The cucoos had made the barn home, their feathers and droppings littering the floor. There were about two dozen cucoos still inside, each one making enough racket to wake Talon up, if he had been in there. The mess made by the fowl was scattered and spread by their feet, leaving the only way to clean it to be by scrubbing. Link sighed and rolled his eyes. It was time to get to work.

Clearing and cleaning out the visitors' barn took longer than he thought, but with the job done, Link could move to the horses' stalls. The smell of the hay and presence of animals was way better than the smell of their waste. He entered the stables and picked up Ingo's pitchfork that he had left there for him to use.

The work began slowly, but quickly picked up pace. Wanting the job to be done, Link first moved all of the hay into the corner of each stall, making loads easier to shovel with the pitchfork. He would then bring the hay out back into the fertilizer heap used for Lon Lon Ranch's garden. It made things easier.

Link stopped just after he began to move another mound of hay. An icy feeling crept through his veins and into his heart. He felt a presence leave the world and the world sigh at the loss. He could also feel the shock and horror of many others who felt the same feeling. He knew this feeling. He had felt it once before, in another world… another time…

Link fell back into the hay, grabbing at his heart. _No… no, this can't be happening! NO!!!_ His breathing accelerated as if he were standing before a monstrous beast for the first time again. It was panic. That was one thing Link hadn't felt since before his adventure, panic. There was good reason for it, though. The horror that he felt meant that a mistake was made. Somewhere, be it him leaving Kokiri Forest or some other mistake made in his previous times. _It shouldn't happen like this,_ Link thought.

The Great Deku Tree was dead.

_NO!!!_ Link screamed internally. He couldn't be dead! He wasn't cursed! Ganondorf wasn't there to curse him! He shouldn't be! Thoughts swarmed around his head, visions of memories, memories of visions, images of fear. This shouldn't be happening!

Link cried. He wasn't sure what the true reason was, but he cried. Maybe it was because he never had time to grieve the first time the Great Deku Tree died. Maybe it was because he wasn't there this time to help him or see him off. Maybe it was guilt… something had happened. Maybe if Link hadn't left the forest so soon, he would have been there to save the Great Deku Tree, or at least try.

What was worse was the feeling of dread. Link could have been there to help, but what did it all mean in general?

It meant that another menace was terrorizing Hyrule. Whether it was Ganondorf or some new evil, it was present and that alone was enough to send Link into even more panic.

He wasn't sure he was really ready for it, the danger. He had been there at Lon Lon Ranch for a while now and he was just beginning to settle into a normal life. Already, he knew he would miss the ranch, the horses, the grass, Malon.

_What are you talking about?_ a part of him thought. _You left your home in Kokiri Forest instantly on your first adventure! Sure, you missed it, but it was worth saving all those lives!_

_I know, I know,_ he answered himself. _I guess I'm just in shock. The Great Deku Tree is dead, and I didn't even see it coming!_ He sighed at himself. _I feel like I abandoned everyone in the forest. I feel so awful._

Breathing deeply, calming himself, Link stopped his tears and dried his eyes. He was a hero, no matter that it was only in another time. He was brave and valiant and willing to risk his life for others. He shouldn't be crying in fear in the corner of a horse's stall.

Another feeling grew within Link's heart. It was warm and familiar. He had missed that feeling, he realized, ever since returning to his time. An adventure was approaching, and he knew it. His pride and his heroism rose and he knew what he had to do. He had to grab his Hylian Sheild and return to the forest. He would fight any monster presented before him and any enemy that dared block his path. He would retake the Kokiri Sword that he had returned to the forest and find out what caused the Great Deku Tree's death.

Adventure was calling.

Link stood up and strode toward the door. He would start immediately!

"Hey! You! Where do you think you're going?" Link flinched at the sound of Ingo's voice. "You still have stables to clean, boy! You're not thinking about abandoning your chores, are you?"

Link turned on the spot and looked out of the stable doors and out to the corral. Ingo was by the fence just standing there looking at Link. _What nerve,_ Link thought. _I can easily see now why Ingo took over the ranch before._

"Why don't you do it, Ingo? I'm leaving the ranch anyway, so you can't threaten me with kicking me out. Why don't you do the work for once?" With that, he left through the front door and went to his stuff.

Since there were only three bedrooms there at the ranch, Link had taken up a small side room that used to be a hen house. It hadn't been in use for a long time, but with a couple bales of hay for a bed, Link had made it home. He hadn't brought a lot of stuff with him. All he needed really was the shield and the pack. He would bring some Lon Lon Milk with him just in case. The rumors of its healing properties were more than just rumors and he knew that a long time ago. He rearranged everything so it would all fit neatly on his back and at his side. In no time at all, he was ready to go.

"You're leaving?"

Link turned around to see Malon at his door. Even though he had left it open, she still seemed nervous to enter. He sighed. Now how could he leave without saying goodbye? He laughed at himself within. He would get so caught up in adventures. He had almost forgotten to say goodbye to Saria when he began his first one.

"Yea," he said. He didn't really know what to say to her. She had been such a good friend, he didn't want to tell her that he might not see her again. "I… there's something that I fear has happened at my old home. I want to make sure that things are alright." Well, it was mostly the truth.

Malon nodded, as if running off was something she expected of him. "Oh… well, I hope things turn out alright, Link. Don't forget to write to us back here. The ranch will miss you." She was so sincere, it almost hurt Link to go. She blushed a bit and then left his doorway.

_Damnit, Link!_ He cursed himself. _Why can't you just settle down in one place?_

Adventure was calling again. Link put the Hylian Shield on his back and headed off. Luckily he didn't run into either Talon or Ingo. He didn't want to have to explain himself to an adult. They needed more explanations than kids.

Just as he was about to leave, he looked back at Lon Lon Ranch. He hoped to see it again, and he had a feeling he would, but it was still sad to say goodbye. He then faced forward towards the road and began another adventure.

Kokiri Forest was a different place. Many plants were droopy and nothing was truly green. It all looked so sad, as if all the life wept for the loss of the Guardian Spirit of the Forest. It was quiet as well. It seemed like no one was outside and most of the houses were dark. It was already drawing close to night time and Link saw one house with a fire lit inside.

Of all houses, it was Mido's.

He knocked cautiously on the slightly open door. Inside he heard voices talking quietly and a low "come in" from the back. When he opened the door, everyone froze. Mido's friends, along with Saria and Mido himself were all sitting around a table eating what seemed to be dinner. There were a mix of emotions and expressions as he nervously waved hello to them.

"Link!" Saria said, standing up to hug him. She hadn't changed in the slightest, though she did look a little more sleep-lacked.

"What are _you_ doing back here, traitor?" Mido was glaring at Link from across the room. He sat at the table eating one handed because his right hand was bandaged and in a sling. His head was wrapped up as well, covering his left eye and his forehead. He looked pretty banged up, but nothing could tone down the hate in his face.

Mido's friends didn't look to happy to see him either. One looked surprised while the other seemed annoyed. Obviously he wasn't a positive topic for conversation to them.

"Hey, Mido. What happened to you?" Link asked with general concern. He didn't want to get into an argument with him now. Especially not under the circumstances.

"Ol' Boss Mido here fought against the monster!" One of Mido's friends spoke up. The other piped in as well. "Yea, he fought the beast all by himself, too! Ain't that right, Boss?"

Mido hadn't stopped glaring at Link. He glanced at Saria, who was still at his side, then back at Link. Obviusly tensions hadn't eased between him and Mido. As a matter of fact, they seemed worse off than before.

Link listened to what the others had said. "Wait, you fought whatever it was that killed…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. The others instantly reacted to the reminder as well, looking away in pain and sorrow. Even Mido stopped his glare to respect the dead.

"Damn right, I fought it," Mido said. "You think I was going to just let that thing get away with what it was doing? The Grea-… _he_ let me inside him to try and stop it, but in the end… it wasn't enough…"

Link hung his head. So Mido had entered the Great Deku Tree trying to stop the creature within. It hadn't been him this time… not this time. "So you killed the giant spider?"

"I killed all three of them!" Mido said prideful, but sorrow returned. "It still did nothing…"

_Three?_

Link's mind was lost for a bit. _Three_ Gohmas? It was hard enough defeating one when he first started out, but _three_? _Maybe Mido's made of tougher stuff than I first thought_, Link wondered. _But wait…_ "What did the spiders look like?" Link asked. He had to make sure.

"What's it to ya?" Mido asked forcefully. "You left, remember? You don't want any part with us! Why do you care if the Great Deku Tree is…" Even in anger, he couldn't bring himself to say it. If Link had been so affected by his death from so far away, he couldn't imagine what it would to actual Kokiri from so close by. It must've felt like dying themselves.

"Please, Mido," Saria said. "Link is a part of us, too. He has a right to know." Mido huffed at that. He still didn't like it when Saria took Link's side. Saria pleaded silently to him, hoping to stop the hard feelings before things lost control.

"They were big, ugly spiders," Mido said, "with bodies like giant skulls, eight thin legs sprouting from them, and their bottoms were black and unguarded. That's how I sliced them up with that." He pointed to the wall to the right of Link. There it was, propped up against the wall, the Kokiri Sword.

_That wasn't Gohma!_ Link thought, _Those were only skulltulas!_ It was either a good thing or a bad thing. Either it meant that maybe Ganondorf wasn't behind it, that it was all just a bad coincidence, or it meant that Gohma was still in there.

"I have to go check it out," Link said, grabbing the Kokiri Sword and heading out the door.

"Hey! Get back here!" Mido was yelling from inside. He began to stand, but winced and sat back down. "Bring that back! Who do you think you are? Some kinda hero?" Link could have laughed at that. Mido's friends stayed behind to help him. Saria chased after Link.

"Link! Don't! It's too dangerous!" But Link ignored her. If Gohma was still in there, then danger was still present, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to the Kokiri while he was there! He had to be sure. He had to be positive that things weren't starting back up again!

He had to make sure!

LIF:Navi zooms around LIF's head, causing much annoyance and distaraction.

Navi:"Hey! LIF! Is it him? Is it really Ganondorf? Is Gohma still alive? What'll he find down there, huh huh huh?"

LIF:Takes the jar from under the table and threateningly opens the lid. Navi stops circling and drops down to the table, where she sits quietly and obediently. "Now, if you'll behave for just a moment, Navi, I need to prepare more drama and flesh out the details of going inside the Deku Tree. With you constantly distracting me…. I MAY LOSE MY HEAD!!!" Taking a deep breath, LIF calms down. "Sorry, Navi. I'm just a bit sad that I get so few reviews… please review! I love hearing comments about what you think or theories! Please, please, please review! Even if you've reviewed before, I love new input!" LIF smiles big and hopefully at you. ^w^


	5. Chapter 4:Inside the Deku Tree

LIF:"It is now time for the first Shadow of Darkness DUNGEON!!! Let us join Link as he goes 'Inside the Deku Tree'… and he finds that things have changed… a lot." LIF grabs a controller and selects saved file 2: Link. The game title shows briefly, "The Legend of Zelda: Shadow of Darkness" … then it blacks out and loads at the save point.

It was exactly like he remembered it, the layout of the inside of the Great Deku Tree… but it was completely different… no life was here at all. There barely seems a flicker of it. The wood seemed petrified, more like stone than wood. Looking around, dead deku babas lay flat on the wooden floor. The remnants of skulltulas and skullwalltulas lay scattered everywhere.

That was what made the most sense. When Mido entered, hoping to save the Great Deku Tree, he probably climbed up, meeting the three giant skulltulas at the top. With them gone, he thought things were over. Either that or he was too seriously injured before he could continue.

The real menace, if she was truly there, was Gohma, and she preferred to house herself in the roots of the great tree.

Link's thoughts raced as he walked forward to the hole in the center of the floor. That hollow shaft led down into the root system and closer to the cave Queen Gohma last made her throne. Would the creature even be there? He couldn't help but believe she would be. Nothing else made sense…

Then again, her being there wouldn't make sense either. If she was there, what would her reason for being there be?

Was Ganondorf still present on _this_ timeline?

Chills shot down Link's spine at the thought. He had to shake it off if he was going to continue. Looking down the shaft to the roots, Link saw water. He looked around quickly, going to one of the dead deku babas. He cut off the head of the plant and threw it down to the water below. Watching it splash and sink, Link knew it was deep enough to high dive.

He jumped and fell, landing with a splash safe. The Hylian Shield weighed him down, but he kicked up to the surface and looked around. He expected to see some living thing down here where Mido wasn't likely to have gone. With a broken arm, he wouldn't have been able to get back out again. Instead, he saw more dead deku babas.

None of this felt right. Link could remember back to the first time he had entered the Great Deku Tree. He was still alive, cursed but alive. Now, with him already dead, it seemed no forest life could live within him. The skulltulas and skullwalltulas had probably lived until Mido killed them, but they hadn't been there long enough to web over the shaft. The deku babas had all dried up and now lay lifeless on the ground by their roots. Even for monsters, that just wasn't right.

He looked up to the ledge. It wasn't one he could jump, he remembered that. He had to go around and push down a block that was waiting up there…

Not this time. The block was already down, waiting to be used as a step.

When Link climbed onto the higher step, he noticed something that he didn't remember. Sitting just behind the second hollow shaft leading down, there was a chest. It blocked some stones set into a niche in the wall.

So someone _had_ messed with the Deku Tree… but who?

Cautiously, Link walked over to the chest. It was a large one, about as tall as he was. He pushed open the lid and jumped up to look inside.

Resting right there for him was the Slingshot.

He never knew who or why he usually found these chests, but he thanked whoever it was. They had more than once helped him out during his adventure. He reached down and took the Slingshot, pulling the elastic through his belt. He now had it ready to draw.

Looking back into the second shaft, he saw water again. He checked the depth again with another deku baba head and determined it safe to jump into. He dived in, landing with a splash and swam over to the bank.

If the dead deku babas everywhere wasn't sad enough, the three deku scrubs he found down there during his first visit were all dead. Two were only to be called dead by the brown and withered leaves on their heads sticking out from their pads. The third, just by the door, had died above ground. It's leaves as dried and withered as the others, its body petrified like the rest of the Deku Tree.

Its mouth was open in their usual "O", eyes open and blank. Link had seen many dead enemies, but at this, he had to turn away. He moved to the door and opened it. It slid upward, allowing Link past.

Carefully, Link entered the room. He drew the Kokiri Sword and prepared himself for a fight. The door shut behind him, not surprising him at all. He then walked forward through the short hall and entered the large cavern that was Queen Gohma's Throne. Faint white webs were stretched all across the walls and the ceiling, wrapping around the columns as well. The room itself was musty and it reeked of dead insects. Small stones were scattered everywhere from where they had been knocked off of the ceiling. If it hadn't been for the faint sound of spider legs on their web, Link would have thought Gohma dead as well.

Looking up at the ceiling, Link locked gaze with the giant, yellow-green eye of the Parasitic Armored Arachnid, Queen Gohma.

She looked just like he remembered her. She had two, large, claw-like legs and two smaller ones to match. Her long abdomen stretched out behind her body and curled, looking like a living tube. Her giant eye stood out wide on the center of her body and glared down.

She dropped to the ground and moved to look at Link. Raising her head, she screeched with ear-piercing pitch, causing Link to have to cover his ears. She then faced Link directly and began crawling toward him.

Link quickly ducked out of her direct way, stepping back and readying his blade. Gohma turned to him again, crawling forward. She lashed out with one of her legs and Link jumped back out of its path. She stopped and seemed to consider him for a second. Then she raised her head to screech again. Link covered his ears as he backed away from her reach. He was desperately calling back old memories. She hadn't been that hard to kill the first time.

Gohma looked back to her target. For a moment, she did nothing but face him. Then, suddenly, with a speed Link never could remember, she charged forward. Surprised, Link lashed out quick with the Kokiri Sword, aiming for her eye. At the tip of his swing, he managed to catch her in the corner of it and she reared back on her abdomen, screeching. She wailed and blinked while Link recovered from her charge. She was _far_ faster than he remembered.

While she screeched and wailed, Link stood back away from her flailing legs. He sheathed the Kokiri Sword on his back and drew the Slingshot, picking up a small rock from the ground. Fitting it quickly, he drew and took aim at Gohma's eye. Out of practice, the stone just missed his target and bounced useless off of her armored head. She stopped her flailing and turned back to look at Link. Blood flowing from his slash, her eye was red and sore. The green liquid dripped from her face and onto the ground, her anger evident as her eyelid curved down.

Link quickly took up another stone and fitted it to the pocket of the Slingshot. Gohma glared at Link for only a second, then she turned to the wall and began to climb. Link drew the elastic and aimed, waiting until his shot was perfect. Gohma crawled on her web until she reached the middle of the room. She then grabbed hold of the ceiling and lowered her abdomen strait down. It started convulsing and her eye rolled upward. Link took the shot. It whizzed by her eye and got stuck in her tangled web.

_Damnit!_ Link thought, _I haven't used the Slingshot in so long, my aim is off!_ He put the Slingshot away and redrew the Kokiri Sword.

From Gohma's abdomen, three rock-like eggs dropped down, cracking on impact. She curled up and waited on the ceiling, while the three eggs hatched. The Gohma larva each jumped up, alert and ready to attack. Each one had one eye with two claw-legs and a tail sticking out from it. One crouched down quickly, its muscles straining. Then it leapt at Link with a similarly increased speed as Gohma had.

He ducked down under the Hylian Shield just in time for its claws to scratch at the metal. Its impact was hard and it caught Link a bit off guard. The larva was getting its bearings after the charge when Link uncurled and swung the Kokiri Sword, slicing right through the larva's eye. The creature shrieked and fell backwards, bursting into blue flame and disintegrating. Just as that one fell, the other two leapt at him. He ducked under the shield as the two's claws scraped at him. While they recovered from their own impact, he stabbed forward into another's eye. That one blinked fiercely, shrieking and falling back like the other had.

The final one, already alert and ready to spring, dashed forward instead of jumping. It had its head-eye lowered and its tail curled forward like a stinger. It caught Link by surprise and stabbed into his right shoulder. Link screamed as the Gohma larva pulled away, leaving behind an actual stinger in Link's shoulder. Irritated by the little bugger and at his rusty skills, Link lashed out quickly with the Kokiri Sword and killed the larva. He then dropped the sword and grabbed the stinger, yanking it out with a yell. The stinger pulsed in his hand for a second, then he dropped it.

Taking up his sword again, he sliced the stinger in half. It burst with green ooze and burned up in blue fire. Ignoring the throbbing in his right arm, Link looked up to watch Gohma drop back down to the ground. She landed directly in front of him and he had to jump back quick to avoid her claws. She caught him with her new speed, cutting his right forearm. Looking down, he saw that that arm was motionless, almost numb. He barely felt her claw. Looking back at him, he saw her giant eye was now green, her blood filling in her eyelids and within the eye itself. He could've hurled.

She lunged forward at him. He was just far enough back to avoid her. While she was down, he rushed in with a battle cry, driving the Kokiri Sword forward. Gohma screeched and shrieked, everything but her eye writhing and squirming. The Kokiri Sword held her eye in place, the blade plunged directly into her pupil almost up to the hilt. Link held tight to his weapon as the rest of Queen Gohma's body dissolved in blue flames, leaving her eye behind on Link's sword.

Breathing heavily, Link used his foot to remove Gohma's eye off of his sword. It slid off easily and landed with a thud. The eye had petrified with the sword's hole down the pupil. The green blood had burned away with the rest of her and the eye was now a solid trophy of his victory.

A swirl of black energy spun around the center of the room, and a large _black_ chest appeared. _This is new as well_, Link thought, going over to it. He opened it and looked inside. His heart nearly stopped.

Inside the chest were two pieces of paper. One was white with the crest of the Hylian Royal Family on it. It appeared official and for some reason it seemed familiar. The second was a black page, dark energy falling off of it. Even with it closed, he could faintly see the red writing through the supposedly opaque paper. But neither of these are what got his attention. What really got him was the shining green gem in the center of the chest.

_Oh, Goddesses_, Link thought, _What evil has come to Hyrule?_

Sitting in the center of the chest was the Kokiri Emerald…

…Spiritual Stone of the Forest.

LIF:"Now why is that there?!? Is Ganondorf back, or what?!? I bet you're all wondering that… but there's more to come!!! What do the mysterious notes say? Who is causing trouble in Hyrule? What will Link do next?!?" Navi flies up to LIF's ear and whispers something. "I believe you're right, but we can't tell _them_ yet." LIF motions to you. "Just go and fly around for a while, Navi… I've got plotting to do." An evil smile creeps onto LIF's face, but the effect is ruined when they sneeze. "Oh well… we can't all be as menacing as Ganondorf…"


	6. Chapter 5:A New Shadow Appears

LIF: "WOW!!! It's been a long time! School work is a pain. It is amazing that I found the time for this, though I have no clue as to when I will be able to work on the next." LIF frowns sadly… "Well, I guess there is one bonus to this… HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!!! WOO!!!"

_Maybe I _am _in the right time_, Link thought, a faint bit of hope appearing in his chest. _Maybe I have to do it all again… maybe I get a second shot_.

A spark was set. His hopes seemed to have an actual chance now. Still… what was this?

Link reached into the black chest and picked up the Spiritual Stone. It was real, alright. It looked the same and felt the same, the power within it coursing through his hand and throughout the rest of him. The energy spoke of trees and shrubs and small animals. It whispered of grass and fresh air, where things grow and thrive through soil and rain. Forests… that's what it spoke of.

It was indeed the Kokiri Emerald, but why was it there? Why was Gohma there? Was Ganondorf still causing trouble in this timeline? There were just too many questions and not enough answers.

Putting the Kokiri Emerald safely away, Link looked at the two letters. The dark one was still leaking energy, it seemed to be twisting and warping where it rest. The other remained still, the royal seal showing. He reached for that, Hyrule's Royal Family more important than the dark, mysterious power of the other letter.

Opening it, at first he was confused. It wasn't addressed to him. Not only that, but he had seen it before, in another time. It talked _of_ him, and also brought back memories.

"_This is Link…_

_He is under my orders to save Hyrule._

Please allow him entrance to Death Mountain Trail, as he needs to pass in order to further his journey.

By royal decree of

_Princess Zelda_"

It was Zelda's letter, the one he used on his first journey to get to Goron City and the Spiritual Stone of Fire! _How did that get there? Could it really be from Zelda? No, she doesn't know me here. …Is this… is this the original?_ The thought struck him hard. It had to be true. But how could the original letter have followed him into his new timeline? And more over, how did it end up there, in the chest inside the Deku Tree?

Things were just getting freakier and freakier…

Putting Zelda's letter away, he looked at the black paper. It seemed to twist faster, turning and warping as if it knew it was next. Link reached to it hesitantly. He had seen trap chests before, with things inside that would attack and hurt him, or the chest itself would jump and attack, but the letter was in a normal (if black) chest along with the Spiritual Stone of Forest. Surely it wouldn't be harmful…

He reached in farther, his hand nearly touching the black paper. Nothing had happened yet… He tried to brace himself for anything, an impossible feat, but none the less… and grabbed the paper.

The darkness on the paper shot out and wrapped itself around his hand. It swiftly began to crawl and cover up his arm. Link dropped the paper, still leaking darkness. The darkness on his arm stopped growing. Looking at it, it was almost as if his entire hand and forearm had become a shadow of itself, a similar dark energy radiating off it. He drew the Kokiri Sword and kept his other arm out, trying to keep the black energy away from him.

Looking at the letter on the ground, it had stopped giving off dark energy. It now just seemed to be a black piece of paper. The darkness on his arm was also beginning to fade, the color returning to normal. As a breath in the air, Link thought he could hear an eerily familiar laugh. The thought vanished as quickly as the darkness on his arm.

Having returned to normal, Link decided to try again. The dark energy was no longer around the letter, and he had to know what it said. He carefully reached for the letter again, keeping the Kokiri Sword out and pointed at it.

This time, nothing happened. He carefully unfolded the letter, looking at an elegant red script that he didn't recognize. The writing was bold and seemed to shine against the black paper. As he read, Link's eyes grew wide.

How are you enjoying your adventure so far,

Link, Hero of Time?

Did the darkness scare you?

It won't be the last time you encounter something like that. You better keep an eye out for it, for it will lead you on your quest. You may be wondering what quest you are on. After all, the troubles you've faced before shouldn't be happening again in this new timeline.

Yes, I know all about the other timeline. I know all about your adventure, and all about you and the Sages… and Ganondorf.

It may relieve you to know that Ganondorf had nothing to do with the cursing of this Great Deku Tree, the one you didn't even try to save. It's a pity, really, that you didn't even try to save him. Then again, there is more about Ganondorf that you need to know. I won't tell you just yet, though. You are far too busy at the moment. After all…

The Goron people are in desperate need of your help.

You better hurry, Link. Even the stone people can be crushed.

The Shadow,

**Darcia**

_P.S. You are in for one hell of a ride. If anyone could ever compete with the King of Evil, it's me._

Link held the letter in shock. _Darcia…_ He had never heard that name before. Even though it was new to him, it left a strange feeling in his heart, as if he had heard it before.

To claim to be able to compete with Ganondorf's power was a bold claim. Link himself knew that, without Princess Zelda's and the Mastersword's help, he very well may have died in that battle with the King of Evil. To think that someone could claim such a thing…

…To think someone could kill the Great Deku Tree as easily as Ganondorf had.

That thought was the most frightening. Maybe…

Maybe Ganondorf wasn't the only great evil out there.

He looked back at the letter. _"The Goron people are in desperate need of your help."_ He had to hurry. He knew that this letter was no joke. He had seen Gohma again. The Great Deku Tree was dead… again. Darcia's words stung him. _"It's a pity, really, that you didn't even try to save him."_ Could his loss truly be his fault this time?

He had to get to Death Mountain. Whatever it was, the Gorons were in trouble. He had already allowed the Great Deku Tree to die, he wasn't going to cause the extinction of the Gorons too.

The adventure was back on.

…yet, something told him that this one was going to be harder… more difficult…

It took him a moment to realize that the numbness in his arm from Gohma's larva was gone. The darkness that had enveloped his arm when he had grabbed the letter had somehow healed it, and he could feel from it again.

_I have to keep moving… There are people in need of help._

He looked back to the door.

…or where the door had been. It had shut behind him when he had entered.

_Now what?_

He felt the air move, and that same dark energy from the letter seemed to flow through the air. It all came together directly in front of him and became a dark, glowing circle on the floor. Its image was familiar. Aside from the color, it was a portal.

Dare he trust the dark energy?

In his current situation, it seemed so. If this "Darcia" didn't want him to live to fight, why would he leave his letter so open, so taunting? He had to trust his instincts. He had to play Darcia's game.

He stepped onto the portal, and the dark magic swirled around him. He was lifted into the air and he felt himself lose all weight.

Next thing he knew, he stood on a large stone staircase in a crack in the mountains. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and another moment to question why.

He was only a couple flights away from Kakiriko Village.

For a moment, he thought back to the Kokiri Forest, to Mido… to Saria. Once again, he didn't say goodbye. He took a deep breath, sending a prayer to the Goddesses to look over the Kokiri Forest. He once again had to leave it behind. A bit of sadness tugged at him. He then looked forward. It had happened before. Adventure called… destiny called… and he had to leave many things behind.

He set off.

LIF: *Insert dramatic music here.* "Hmm… this Darcia guy seems interesting… Who does he think he is, comparing himself to Ganondorf?!"

NAVI: "Ooo! I know! I know! He's… Sorry LIF. I will be quiet."

LIF: Smiles. "Thank you very much, Navi! You'll be a helper fairy yet! Oh! And everyone… Darcia is only partially mine. Most of him, if not all of him, is from the mind of "the new hero of chaos". His actions in this story are designated by me based on his personality made by tNHoC. He is an epic character and I'm just dying to introduce him officially. Well, I hope you liked it! Hopefully I will be faster with the next chapter!"


End file.
